and nothing happens in washington, you know, in a bubble. it's not as if now ambassador rice has decided well, you know, i had to come out and defend my comments. this is a planned move by the white house, i believe, because, you know, they want to put her out there as the secretary of state. i think they are feeling fairly emboldened after the election and just intend to jam this joyce through despite the congress and republicans in congress saying now we are going to block. this i think what they are doing is setting the table for ambassador rice's nomination. >> in fact, they may have blown it up. why didn't they put someone out there, in your opinion, like clapper who actually had all the intel, probably talked with a lot of the intelligence officers in addition to the state department instead of someone like rice that clearly was more relaying information she was told second hand? i think essentially she was willing to get out there for the white house, be the front pointy edge of the spear. be the sewage and now she is being rewarded f